Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Coming Controversy:Polygamy Raid In Texas

Okay, I'm probably going to be very unpopular for my take on this issue, but please bear with me and hear me out. My real concern about this whole drama is regarding civil liberties. To me, this entire incident and the fallout beginning to occur has sounded awfully fishy. I hope that more of us will examine this situation from all angles before we form a quick opinion and file it away. This historical event could very well have ramifications for all of our futures, and the very survival of this country.

But let's even look past that. Let's play devil's advocate for a while. Let's assume that this girl does exist and let's assume that her accusations and claims are valid. Wouldn't you send CPS investigators to the home in an effort to determine the facts? Why would a massive police raid ensue, and why would 416 children be forcibly taken away from their mothers in buses? The mothers and children were kept apart, and all cell phones were confiscated, so that no one could contact anyone else.

And this is the point that REALLY bugs me. WHY would you raid the entire community? If CPS received a call from anywhere else, would police raid the entire community of Cedar Park, Plano, Bethesda, or Carmel because of one report from one family? How can even the original family be considered guilty without a proper, formal investigation, much less the entire community?

Earlier Thursday, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said on CNN's "American Morning" that "the case really doesn't hinge upon that particular 16-year-old." He said once investigators could "in good faith... go into the compound and determine whether or not there was any kind of wrongdoing, the case is on its own after that." But, he said, "It's our belief that these children who are under the age of 17 have engaged in sex with older men, which is a violation of Texas law, which is also a potential violation of the bigamy laws. So yes, we do believe we have information that will be substantiated in court that will show there has been sexual assault as well as bigamy."

So, then, sirs, it really is about polygamy and religious beliefs? But didn't you say that it wasn't? What about following proper procedures? The identity of this person (most articles simply refer to her as a 16 year old, and very few actually even have her name) and her original call aren't even the basis for the case? Well, then, what was your basis for the raid?

Oh, but, wait, it gets so much better. Personal property, such as hard drives from computers, were immediately taken. If your neighbor was accused of child abuse, would it be okay for them to walk over to your house, next door, force themselves in, take your cell phone, take the hard drives from your computers, or anything else of yours, for that matter, and separate you from your children for what has already been two weeks? Oh, but don't let me forget. Your children would also be forced to undergo blood tests, regardless of how you or they might feel about it.

I want to be clear that I am in no way saying that I have a grasp on the compound's way of life and that I am not sweeping the possibility of child abuse or sex abuse under the rug. If that call was legitimate (Google, is there even a recording of it in existence? Apparently not...) and not a prank call from a 33-year-old Colorado Springs woman, (ARREST UPDATE!) then the crimes need to be addressed and the problems need to be solved. But from everything that I have witnessed, the real crimes are by the State of Texas and the local Eldorado and Green County officials. Officials said the community was unclean and unsafe. That appears to not be true. Officials claim to have received a call alleging child sex abuse. That caller is nowhere to be found. Officials claimed the investigations and hearings would be fair. Yet, the violent raid, seizure of property, and abandonment of due process appear to contradict that promise.

When I think of attorney Jason Castraneda's observation that this is a tight community in which neighbors are making milk and cheese, it again reminds me of my earlier reactions. What if the local, state, or federal government decides that they don't like the Amish way of life? This country was born out of a desire and a need to escape religious persecution. But we appear to be experiencing just that. Representatve Harvey Hildebran is quoted as having had issues with this particular community since 2005, and proudly announced how he had been working to change laws in order to "fight this" and "do something about it". That hardly seems like an impartial lawmaker to me. What happens when the government decides that the Amish religion is not conducive to "democracy" or that their way of life is essentially "tax evasion"? Do we invade those "dangerous communities" with our SWAT gear and attack vehicles, as well? What if the government decides that it doesn't like your religion, or mine? Heck, lawmakers and citizens can't even come to terms on whether or not The Ten Commandments can be displayed at public facilities, such as courthouses.

I hope that everyone considers these travesties and these frightening trends for what they are. Undoubtedly, the courts will go above and beyond in their efforts to illustrate any real or imagined crimes emanating from inside the compound. So let's try to look at the other side of the coin, the emerging police state and this violation of civil liberties. Heck, with incidents like this, maybe Bush didn't need the Patriot Act to treat all of us as criminals, guilty until proven innocent?

About Me

I'm just the author of Dewey News, and not any of the famous Deweys below:
Admiral of the Navy, George Dewey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dewey)
Dewey of Huey, Dewey, and Louie Fame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey,_Dewey_and_Louie)
Thomas E. Dewey, the politician who didn't Defeat Truman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dewey)
Melvil Dewey, creator of the Dewey Decimal System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvil_Dewey)
Or even the educational reformer, John Dewey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey)
Nope, I'm just George Dewey, connoisseur of tacky shirts and publisher of Dewey News, valued by many, condemned as spam by even more...